


I like you a latte

by Yumi_Cake



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: BaekXing, Fluff, M/M, i drank like 46 coffees writing this, its sweet, literally the softest thing ive written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 20:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12756030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumi_Cake/pseuds/Yumi_Cake
Summary: Coffee buddies, Zhang Yixing and Byun Baekhyun. One small problem, Baekhyun doesn't like coffee but he'd do anything to have this weekly coffee dates with his sunbae. What happens when Yixing finds out?





	I like you a latte

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh I want to start by thanking the prompter for making such a cute, soft prompt. Honestly, it was so adorable!! I'm sorry it's a bit shorter than I intended, but I hope you like the fic! Also, I'd like to thank my close friend ob for giving me encouragement every step of the way!!

Baekhyun hates coffee.

 

Well, it’s a bit much to say he _hates_ it, but he strongly dislikes it. Always has.

 

Call him a child for preferring the taste of hot chocolate or a strong brewed tea in comparison to the caffeinated _monster_ in a starch white cup, but Baekhyun’s never favored coffee. It’s flavor and the way it leaves a bitter aftertaste in his mouth isn’t something he’s very fond of, and that’s not even him including how _expensive_ a cup costs nowadays. It’s ridiculous.  

 

But even then, Baekhyun still finds himself sat at one of the tables in his campus coffee shop, sipping not from a mug of tea or hot chocolate…but from a starch white cup of coffee. He barely touches it, waves it off that’s he’s busy doing his work. But that too would be a lie, when he’s not so subtly staring at his companion sitting across from him at his table.

 

Zhang Yixing, Baekhyun’s fourth year senior, has been the object of Baekhyun’s affection since he’d declared his major. They’d met in a first-year seminar for biology majors, Baekhyun sitting himself at an unoccupied seat near the back, _easier to leave the class and not make a scene,_ he’d thought to himself. Considering that he’d come early, it wasn’t surprising that most of the seats were empty, which further confused him as a man sat next to _him_ of all places.

 

It vexes him a bit, but he soon feels his annoyance dissipate at the other man turns to him, a sweet smile paired with his outstretched hand. He introduces himself as Yixing, a fourth-year double majoring in Biology and Statistics. Baekhyun wants to ask what a senior is doing in a freshman seminar, but his question is quickly answered when Yixing explains that by some chance he’d managed to bypass the class until his fourth year.

 

“Not that I mind, though. It’s nice to be able to take things easy in your fourth year.”

 

Baekhyun can still remember how entranced he was hearing the other giggle the words, and _god_ , did he know early on that he was _whipped._

 

\---

 

It doesn’t take long before a close friendship starts to form, and Baekhyun waits eagerly for the other to get to his seat, both making sure to come early so they have an opportunity to chat. One thing Baekhyun takes notice of, probably around the third week of class when they’re studying for their first exam, is that Yixing always enters with a starch white cup of coffee that he places delicately on the desk.

 

“Hyung, do you have coffee everyday?”

 

Yixing looks up to nod excitedly, before answer “Mhmm! I love it!” Yixing divulges that aside from being a college student and coffee being a staple of his diet, he likes the taste and how it can give him enough energy and be filling enough throughout the day. Not to mention there’s an array of flavors, so it’s not as if he has to settle for one thing, (but in reality, he has his favorites).

 

The fact that Yixing is so passionate about coffee has Baekhyun wanting to coo in adoration, but he stops himself before he makes himself look like an idiot.

 

\---

 

It’s after one of these hang outs that Baekhyun finds himself being given strange looks, by his best friend Tao. He approaches him, sharp eyes narrowed and staring at Baekhyun like he’s some sort of science experiment, while Baekhyun stares back in utter confusion. “Um...can I help you?”

 

“Yeah, what’re you doing with that?” He gestures towards the large cup in Baekhyun’s hand.

 

“Uh, I’m drinking it?”

 

“That’s bullshit. You don’t even like coffee.”

 

It only takes a long stare from Tao until Baekhyun throws his head back with an unattractive _ugh,_ and sighs.

 

“Okay, there’s this guy-”

 

“ _Ooh, a guy-”_

 

“Shut up. There’s this guy in my class who loves coffee. And like, the _only_ time I get to see him outside of that one class is during his study breaks once a week. Which are his weekly coffee breaks.”

 

Baekhyun is surprised how easily that quell Tao’s curiosity. He figures it’s because he’s too distracted trying to get Baekhyun’s coffee, which he happily hands over. He wouldn’t have had the will to drink it all, so he’s at least happy his seven bucks won’t end up going to complete waste.

 

\---

 

Tao is certain that he’s never had this much coffee in such steady amounts, and outside of the cycle of excessively stressful assignments where he’ll literally binge coffee like he does netflix, a cup usually is enough to last him for at least a few weeks. But with Baekhyun seeing whoever ‘this guy’ is in his class, he’s getting a cup at least a week, sometimes twice when the elder manages to snag another chance to meet up with his classmate.

 

It isn’t until cup number eight when Tao finally turns to Baekhyun, who hands him another coffee, this time bottled, and gives him a quizzical look.

 

They’re currently in the middle of their History of Music course, Tao pausing Stranger Things on his phone to instead interrogate Baekhyun.

 

“So, who is this guy you’re seeing anyways?”

 

Baekhyun shrugs as he scrolls absentmindedly through his phone. Tao gives him an annoyed glare when he chooses not to indulge his question. Baekhyun smirks.

 

“Listen, you probably wouldn’t know him.”

 

While it could be easily mistaken as Baekhyun just choosing not to elaborate on the topic, he’s fairly positive that he’s correct. Tao is a freshman Graphic Design major, and Yixing a senior in Biology and Statistics. The chances of them knowing of each other are practically slim to none. Thankfully, Tao seems to not be so focused on who it is, rather more curious about the situation.

 

“Whatever, spill. And I want _details_ this time, Baek.”

 

\---

 

“So, you’re sitting through coffee just to spend time with him?” Tao asks as he slips past the doors of their class, heaving a happy sigh that with their ended lecture, means he can finally beg Baekhyun to buy him food.

 

“...I mean when you put it like that, you make me sound like I’m _that_ whipped.”

 

“That’s because you are.”

 

“Man you got it, you got it. Shit, ain’t gotta go that deep.”

 

Yixing, who had been standing outside his lab class chatting idly with a classmate, perks once he hears Baekhyun’s voice, intent on greeting the underclassman, but decides against it when he sees him in a conversation with someone else.

 

He knows it’s a nasty habit, but Yixing _tries_ not to eavesdrop, but he can’t help but allow himself to hone in on the conversation, especially when Baekhyun -who’s usually so carefree and composed, seems to be so tormented over something as he speaks with a distraught tone, worry written all over his face.

 

It bothers Yixing to the point that he almost goes up to ask Baekhyun if he’s alright, when a continuation of the conversation keeps him from doing so.

 

“God, I can’t stand coffee, you know this.” Baekhyun sighs, shaking his head.

 

“Then why do you keep ordering it, for god sakes? Don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the free coffee, but because you’re my hyung and also buy me food. I’m a little concerned that you’re gonna end up spending all your money on coffee.”

 

At that point, they had become too out of range to hear the rest of the conversation, but that doesn’t stop Yixing from feeling slight pit in his stomach. He watches Baekhyun leave in slight confusion as worry eats away at him. He enjoys Baekhyun’s company, and had thought the feeling was mutual. That was, at least until now. But Yixing’s main concern lies within his fear that he had forced Baekhyun into spending time with him.

 

“Yixing, you okay?” A voice asks, pulling the brunette out of his thoughts. He draws his gaze from the doors Baekhyun had exited out of not even a minute before, and turns back to his classmate.

 

He smiles, readjusting his textbooks as he nods. “Yes, I’m fine.”

 

As he and his lab partner exit the building, he can’t help but feel anxious thinking about the next time he’ll see Baekhyun.

 

\---

 

Once they’re outside and sat comfortably underneath a shaded plot of trees, Tao reaches over and snatches Baekhyun’s phone away from him, ensuring the continuation of their conversation from before. The biology major gives him a dirty look, which he ignores and counters with his own serious, yet worried expression. As much of a whiny brat Tao could be, he could be surprisingly empathetic towards people and their problems. Hence, why Baekhyun felt it easier to open up after so little interrogation. “So, are you actually going to tell me why you’ve been spending a fortune on coffee?”

 

Baekhyun stops, and Tao is caught by surprise when a light flush forms over his features. He avoids the younger man’s eyes, instead fixing his gaze to the ground.

 

“Because...I just want to be around him. He gets so happy over coffee and studying and it’s the _cutest_ thing. I love seeing that.” He mumbles, a hand moving up to scratch the nape of his neck.

 

The silence following almost has Baekhyun regretting what he’s just said, but Tao just gives him a warm, soothing smile.

 

“Sounds like you like this guy a lot.”

 

Baekhyun laughs, falling back onto the grass and staring up at the leaves above him.

 

“Yeah...I do.”

 

\---

 

When Yixing goes out to look for Tao, he’s relieved to find the graphic design major by himself, quietly reading in a more secluded part of the library. Upon noticing his presence, Tao smiles up at the other, removing his headphones and making room on his table for the other.

 

“Hey Taozi, can I talk to you for a minute?” Yixing asks quietly, setting his stuff down.

 

“Sure, Gege.” Tao giggles in response. He still think it’s a bit strange how Yixing always asks his permission for stuff like that, but brushes it off as he always does since Yixing is just like that. Always overly polite and making sure things are okay with other people. It’s one reason why Tao admires him so much.

 

“You know who Baekhyun is, right?”

 

“Mhmm.”

 

“This may be a strange question to ask...but does he like coffee?”

 

Before Tao can even respond, Yixing already knows his answer when he sees the way Tao freezes upon hearing the question, blanching a bit at how unexpected it was.

 

“Well...not really? He isn’t...fond of the taste.” He feels a bit bad with the way Yixing looks at him, as if he’s considering something he doesn’t like. And Tao can only imagine how bothered he probably is.

 

But soon after, he stands to give Tao a quick hug before smiling as he picks up his books.

 

“Alright, that’s all I wanted to know. Thank you Taozi, see you later!” he says as he waves, leaving a concerned and confused Tao.

 

\---

 

It’s a rare occurrence when Yixing finds himself running late, and over the phone apologizes profusely to Baekhyun, who’s already got their usual table picked out at the coffee shop. Baekhyun has to refrain from giggling over the whines Yixing lets out, his sentences littered with _sorry again,_ and _I’m rushing as much as I can._

 

“Hyung, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” Baekhyun chuckles, and puts his phone down once he spots Yixing entering through the doors from the other side of the building.

 

Instead of slipping into his seat, Yixing remains standing beside the table, fingers curling nervously around the edges of his sweater. The minuscule action doesn’t go unnoticed by Baekhyun, whose eyebrows furrow in slight apprehension.

 

“Is something the matter, hyung?”

 

“Baekhyun…” Yixing starts, trying his best to calm his nerves in the form of gripping his sweater harder, “Do you like coffee?”

 

Baekhyun lets loose a sigh of relief at the question, quite obviously worried it were something more severe. A smile graces his face as he says, “Of course, I love it!”

 

But instead of Yixing giving a customary shake of his head and a smile, he gets a look from the elder. One that reads _you don’t have to lie to me._

 

It takes a few seconds more before Baekhyun allows his smile fall, knowing he has probably been caught in his lie. He figures it was only a matter of time before he was found out. Sighing, he leans back into the cushion of the chair, staring blankly at the customers in various tables around them.

 

“I..don’t like coffee. To  be honest, I kind of hate it.”

 

“Why.”

 

The last thing Baekhyun is expecting is a question, assuming that even his petty lie would still be worthy of Yixing leaving him to sit in the coffee shop by himself. For a few moments he struggles to find the words, before ultimately deciding to just tell the truth.

 

“Well...after we met in our bio lecture, I really wanted to be able to hang out with you. But, we literally have no other classes together, and our schedules conflict a lot. I wanted to be able to spend some time with you, and this was the only way. And watching you get so happy while you talked about coffee was so cute-- It made me so happy.”

 

By the time he looks up, Yixing is standing above him, speechless. He stares down at Baekhyun with wide eyes, mouth parting every few seconds as he searches for the words that seem to escape him.

 

“You mean...you sat through tons of cups of coffee...for me?”

 

“Pretty much. I like you a lot, hyung.” He laughs sheepishly, face flushed a bright red.

 

Stunned, but happy, Yixing finally allows himself to plop into the chair across Baekhyun, his own cheeks blooming with a light pink as his smile grows into a grin. “I...I can’t believe you like me back.”

 

Baekhyun almost chokes hearing that, leaning forward with wide eyes and staring at his senior in disbelief. “Wait, you _like_ me? Since when?!”

 

Yixing nods, hands covering his face shyly. “I was too scared to say anything...If only I would’ve known…”

 

Baekhyun feels so euphoric, his fist resting on his thigh is shaking in an effort to keep himself from jumping up and shouting happily and possibly getting kicked out of the coffee shop.

 

Instead, he pushes himself up, making towards the line to the drinks, but is stopped as he feels a hand tug on his blazer.

 

When he turns, he sees Yixing’s bright smile as his hand slowly moves to pull on Baekhyun’s.

 

“Let me treat you...but with hot chocolate.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> man i got to drink so much coffee while writing this i was a happy chappy


End file.
